Bracket.



No. 883,742. PATENTED APR. '1, 190s.

` A. L. mcs.

BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1907.

III

l II-lllllllml lIIIIIII I j @am/m, f

ABRAHAM L. RICE, OF WRIGHT, IOWA..

BRACKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Application filed September 23, 1907. Serial No. 394,230.

To alt 'whom tima/y concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM L. RICE, a

Lcitizen of the United States, residing at Wright, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Bracket, of which the following is a specifie cation.

This invention relates to an im )rovement in brackets as are used for attac ing stock racks to a scale platform, the frame surrounding the platform and for other purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a se arable bracket for racks of various kinds w `ch will be strong, simple and efficient for the purpose intended, and which will enable the racks to be quickly placed in vertical or inclined position as occasion demands and finally to hold. them securely supported in either position.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bracket in position to support one side of the rack vertically. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the socketed foot piece. Fig. 3 is a view of the bracket similar to Fig. 1 with a part of the foot piece broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a view of the lower end of the bracket members such as are carried by the rack. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modified foot piece showing the removable member in elevation and in position to enter the foot piece.

Similar numerals of reference are used for the same parts in all the figures.

In a bracket of this type there are two interloclnng parts, the socketed foot piece 1, bolted or otherwise made fast to a suitable base, such as a scale platform or its surrounding fixed frame, and its coacting member 2 bolted to the lower end of one of the uprights of a stock or other rack.

The foot piece 1 comprises a body 3 having an exterior bottom iiange 4 through which the fastening bolts 5 pass to attach the footpiece to a base which may be the platform 6 of a weighing scale. At the top of the foot piece 1 near one end is an external top fiange 7 parallel to the bottoni flange 4 for about the length of the body 3 after which it curves downwardly to the end of the foot piece 1 where it joins the bottom flange and is provided with a bolt hole for one of the fastening bolts 5.

Vertically through the body 3 is an elongated open socket 8 at one end of which is a shallow recess Qformed in the side of the body and extending from top to bottom thereof. With the exception of the recess, the side walls of the socket are smooth and parallel to each other, but the end walls are of irregular shape to provide means for locking the member 2 in vertical or inclined position at will. One of the end walls 10 of the socket extends vertically from the bottom of the foot piece to about half its height, then curves outwardly at 11 until near the top of the foot piece when it again trends in a ver tical direction to the top. The end 12 of the top flange 7 is on a lower plane than is' said flange at the sides of the foot for a purpose hereinafter described. The opposite end wall'13 has an angular depression 14, one face of which assists in holding the rack in an inclined position. The recess 9 is shallow as before stated., and, beginning at the top, it extends downwardly at an angle and enlarges at about the central portion of the body and finally passes to the bottom in a straight line, having the bottom the same width as at its upper end, The enlargement of the recess at 15 is produced by shortening the side wall on one side thereof, forming thereby an angular projection 16 with an under edge 17 parallel to the top of the foot piece 1.

The coacting member 2 of the bracket, comprises a base plate 1S, from which, and at a right angle thereto risesa side plate 19 having openings therethrough to receive bolts or screws for vfastening it to one of the upright members of a stock rack. Flanges 20 project from opposite edges of the side plate 19 to embrace the lower sides of the upright and steady it. A horizontal support 21, continuous with the base plate 18, upholds the bottom or lowermost board of the rack. Beneath the base plate 18 and formed therewith is a foot plate 22 having parallel sides and edges at right angles to one another, adapted to fit into the elongated slot 8 of the foot piece 1 and extend to the bottom thereof. One edge of the foot plateis straight and bears against the end wall 13 of the socket. The other edge is widened at the top and has formed thereon a hook 23 which, when the rack is upright, fits into that part of the socket formed by the outward curving of the side wall 10. The lower and narrower part of the foot plate 22 bears against the end wall 10, (see Fig. 3). Projecting laterally from the lower end of the foot plate 22 is a stud 24 in position to enter the recess 9 when the parts are put together.

To use the bracket, it is fastened by bolts or screws to a suitable base with as many others of like kind as are necessary. The rack, having the coperating members 2 on the lower ends of their uprights, is lifted and holding the rack in an inclined position (the reverse of the dotted position shown in Fig. 3 and similar to the position shown in Fig. 6), the stud 24 is placed in the recess 9 and the rack lowered until the stud has passed the angular projection 16, (see Fig. 6). The rack is then raised to upright position, causing the stud to move across the enlargement 15 beneath the projection 16 and the opposite lower corner of the foot plate 22 to pass down the curved end wall 11 of the recess until reaching the vertical position when the foot plate drops to the bottom of the socket and the base plate 18 rests on the top i'lange 7, in which position the rack will be firmly held.

If it be desired to incline the tops of oppositely disposed racks, each rack will be raised until the hook 23 of each foot plate has been raised out of the socket. The rack will then be inclined so that the hook 23 will engage the edge of the socket where the flange 7 is depressed at 12, and the lower end of the f foot plate rests against one face of the angular depression 14 (see dotted lines in Fig. 3).

The bracket hereinabove described is strong, cheap, reliable and simple. The two members are connected and disconnected quickly without the use of tools or fastening devices of any kind other than those forming part of and fixed to the structure.

In Fig. 6 the projecting toe 25 of the fixed member or foot piece is shown as placed on the opposite end of the body, that is, on the end opposite the recess 9. The 4flange 7 of the toe in this form of the invention is joined to the body 3 a little below the top of the foot piece to form a shoulder 26 for the hook 23 to engage with.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A bracket of the class described havin@ a foot piece provided with a central vertica socket and a recess on one side thereof, and a rack member having a downwardly extending" foot plate adapted to 'fit said socket and having a stud on one side to engage said recess.-

2. A bracket of the class described comprising two interlocking members, the one forming a foot-piece having an elongated socket extending vertically through the body of said foot piece and an irregular shaped recess in the side of said socket at one end thereof, and the other member having a downwardly extending foot plate adapted to fit said socket when the members are assembled, a stud on one side at the bottom and a hook on one edge near the upper end of said foot plate.

3. A bracket of the class described comprising two interlocking members, the one having an elongated vertical socket with a tortuous recess in one side near one end, and the other member having a foot plate adapted to fit said socket and a stud on one side of said foot plate in position to enter said recess.

4. A bracket of the class described, comprising two separable members, one forming a ixed Jootpiece and the other a removable member, said foot piece havin an elongated socket extending vertical y therethrough with an irregular recess on one side, a shoulder at one end of said body and means for holding the member in a rigid position.

5. A bracket of the class described comprising two sep arable independent members, one forming a iixed foot piece and the other a removable member, the latter having a seat for a bar or beam, and a projecting foot plate on one edge of which is a hook and at its lower end on one side a stud.

6. A bracket of the class described comprising two interlocking members, one having an elongated socket extending vertically therethrough with a tortuous recess in one side the length of the socket, a shoulder on said member at the end of the socket, and a toe for bracing said member, and the other member having a projecting foot plate adapted to it said socket with a stud on one side near the lower end, a hook on one edge for engaging said shoulder, and means for attachment to a beam or bar.

ln testimony thatl claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.`

ABRAHAM L. RICE.

Witnesses:

` MAUDE WILLIAMSON, G. W. PATTERSON. 

